Old Gold Cigarettes were one of the most popular cigarette brands in America during the Roaring ‘20s and beyond. Enjoyed by millions of Americans, Old Gold was produced by the Lorillard Tobacco Company. Lorillard was founded in 1760 by the entrepreneurial Pierre Abraham Lorillard, making it one of the oldest, if not the oldest, tobacco companies in the world. Pierre Lorillard, however, did not live to see his brainchild become a dominant market force, as he was killed by Hessian mercenaries during the British occupation of New York during the Revolutionary War. His son, Pierre Lorillard II, became the first man in American history referred to as a millionaire, with the title bequeathed to him in his 1843 obituary.

     Old Gold Cigarettes were introduced in 1926, quickly becoming a favorite among the smoking public. At its peak, Old Gold had roughly 7% of the market share of cigarettes. They utilized many aggressive marketing tactics, including massive advertising campaigns and a syndicated comic strip that appeared in hundreds of newspapers across the United States. Babe Ruth was their most famous pitchman, appearing on an Old Gold poster while wearing his pinstriped Yankee whites. His ringing endorsement accompanied his picture, claiming, “Old Gold’s mildness and smoothness marked it ‘right off the bat’ as the best”. Tobacco advertising and baseball had an inextricable link at the time, starting with the invention of baseball cards themselves. Companies like Piedmont, Old Mill, and Sweet Caporal cornered the card market at the turn of the 20th century. The most famous baseball card of all-time, the Honus Wagner T206 card, was produced with advertisements from Piedmont and Sweet Caporal cigarettes gracing the reverse side of the legendary card.

     Lorillard also advertised Old Gold through a newer medium that was rapidly growing in popularity: radio. Old Gold sponsored a radio program, Old Gold on Broadway, in 1927 and 1928. The program frequently replayed excerpts from Broadway plays, as well as theatrical revue acts from contemporary stars such as Eddie Cantor.

     This trifold advertisement utilizes the famous slogan of Old Gold Cigarettes, “Not a Cough in a Carload”. The slogan refers to train carloads of tobacco leaves used by the Lorillard Company, in which “not one cough could be found”. This slogan proved immensely popular, and helped assuage the growing doubts that cigarettes had a negative health effect on the bodies of smokers. The tagline was introduced in 1926, and used in various mediums up to the mid-1930s.

     This advertisement features a large, center board that measures 25 ½ x 38 inches. The center portion is flanked by two smaller boards, each measuring 12 x 31 inches. The center portion of the advertisement features the text “Boy!! what a Hit!” above red letters that read “Old Gold Cigarettes”. Their famous line, “Not A Cough In A Carload”, is printed in yellow text over black on the bottom of the advertisement. Three people are shown on the board. Two men are enjoying Old Gold Cigarettes, while a woman is shown holding a small pamphlet. The left portion shows a batter breaking out of the batters box in a stadium emblazoned with a “Smoke Old Gold Cigarettes” advertising board. A large gold pack of Old Gold’s floats above the baseball scene. “Quality Tells the The Story” is printed in blue text next to the pack of cigarettes. The right portion features a similar pack of cigarettes above an outfielder watching the batted ball clearing the outfield fence. The fence features the “Not A Cough In A Carload” slogan, while “It’s Over!” is printed next to the cigarette pack. This item is in remarkable condition and possibly the finest example ever offered, and is an incredible piece of advertising history.

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